Solderless rail terminal



May 2. 1933` A. J. VALLEE soLDERLEss RAIL TERMINAL Filed June 16. 1930 Patentedr May 2, 1933 ,..PATENT OFFICE ARMAND J. 'VALLE, 0F NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB T0 SIGNAL ACCESSORIES CORPORATION, F UTICA., NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK SOLDEBLESS RAIL TERMINAL Application ined :une 1e, 1930. serial No. 461,523.

This invention relates to a deviceA for connecting electric conductors and analogous objects to railway rails and is commonly known as a rail terminal for establishing an electric connectlon between the conductor and rail or may be used for secur- 'ing the ends of bond wires to the adjacent I ends of aligned rail sections.

The terminal ends of these conductors, whether made of single orstranded wires, must be rigidly secured to the-rails to form the desired electrical connection therewithv while the remainin portions are more or less free to vibrate, ue to the passage of the rolling stock along the rails and frequently results in crysta lization and consequent disintegration of the conductor adjacent its fixed connection with the rail.

The main object of the resent invention is to provide simple and e cient means for reduclng to a minimum this liability to disintegration and at the same time to protect the connection against excessive corrosion by climatic elements.

One of the specific objects is to rovide one of the clamping members for t e conductor with a more or less resilient outrigging arm adapted to embrace the conductor some distance from its point of rigid securement to the rail for reducingthe vibration of the conductor and incidentally reducing to a minimum the liability of d is- |integratlon by crystallization.

Another specific object is to provide the other member with a marginal fiange extending across the intervening space between the clamping members and around the adjacent portion of the conductor for protecting the latter and its retaining means against-corrosion and also forv holding the conductor loop on the post against opening.

` Other objects andl uses relating tospecific parts of the device will bc brought out in the following description.

In the drawing: A

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a'railway rail and portion of a conductor with my improved connecting device ink operative position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged. sectional view taken along line 2 2, Figure. 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken along line 3--3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken in the plane of line 4 4, Figure 3.

Figures 5 and 6 are perspective views, respectively on a reduced vscale, of the clamping members for direct engagement with the conductor, the wings of the clamping member seen in vFigure -being shown in their open positions to receive the conductor wh'ile in Figure 4 the same Wings are shown as closed upon the conductor.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood I have shown a portion of a railway rail A having its web provided with a transverse opening a for receiving a tapered stud or bolt 1 of copper or other electric conducting material which is driven or otherwise tightly fitted in the openin -aito assure a perfec; electric connect1on between the stud and ral The smaller end of the stud -1- is threaded at -2- and is of sufficient length to extend some distance be ond the adjacent portion of the rail when t e stud is adjustof the clamping members .-5- and 6 which embrace the threaded portion 2 l of the stud -1- being arranged in spaced `relation` for receiving a portion of an electric conductor -8-. The portion of the clamping member -5- which embraces the stud -1- is substantially circular and is provided with a central opening `-5- for receiving the threadedk portion of the stud.

This clamping member -5- is valso provided with a radially extending arm -9- projecting some distance from the stud -1- and havingV its distal end provided with a pair of opposed `wings l0- projecting laterally therefrom in the same direction and normally spaced apart transversely a distance sufficient to receive the adjacent portion of the cable -8- when adjusted for use. Y

The other clamping member 6 is providedwith asubstantially fiat circular base 11 having a central opening adapted to receive the threaded extension -2- of the stud -1-, said clamping member 6- being provided with a marginal flange l2-- projecting across the intervening space between said clamping members and adapted to embrace the circular inner end ofthe clamping member 5 and the adjacent portion of the conductor 8-, the flange 12 having one side open at -.13- to permit the passage of the conductor .-8- therethrough.

The terminal endof the conductor -8- is preferably bared of its insulation -8- and bent into the form of a loop or eye adapted to embrace the threaded extension -2- of the stud -1- between the flat parallel portions of the clamping members 5 and 6 and within the marginal flange -1Qrof the clamping member 6 as shown more clearly in Figures 2, 3, and 4.

When assembling the parts of the terminal connection the stud -1- per se is first inserted tightly within the opening -aand isthen engaged by the nut -3- Which is screwed against the adjacent portion of the web a,' for additionally tightening and holding the stud in the opening.

The clamping member -,-5- is then placed' over and upon the threaded portion of the stud -1- and against the outer end face of the nut -3- after which the looped end 8- of the conductor -8 is placed over and upon the threaded portion of the stud -1- and against the outer face of the clamping member 5 4 so that the arm -9- will project radially from the stud along the conductorv which will then be interposed between the wings 10-.

The other clamping member 6 isthen placed over and upon the threaded portion of the stud -1- with its base -11- in enj of the adjacent portion of the arm -9- so that the walls of the opening may engage opposite edges of the arm to hold the member -6- against turning when tightening the clamping nut --7-, it being understood, however, that the inner ends of the clamping members -5- and 6- including the flange -12-, constitute a housing for the adjacent portion of the conductor -8- to protect the same against undue corrosion by climatic elements.

When the clamping members -5- and 6- and interposed portion of the conductor ,8- are placed in operative position upon the stud -lthe nut -7- may be tightened to effect a corresponding firm tightening of the clamping members 5 and -6- and conductor eyes -8 one against the other to form a rigid connection with the stud and therethrough with the rail -A, the clamping nut -7- being held in its tightened pos1tion by a lock nut -7 of any suitable construction.

At 'any time after the clamping member -5- and conductor-8*- have been assembled upon the stud -1- the wings -10- may be bent toward each other upon the adjacent insulated portion of the conductor -8-- to relieve the free portions of the conductor from excessive vibration Whiclnin that case, will be transferred to t-he a1'm- -9-f, thereby greatly reducing the liability of disintegration by crystallization of the portion of the conductor adjacent the stud 1#-.

It is, ofcourse, evident that when the nuts -7- and -7 are loosened the arm -9 of the clamping member 5, t0-

gether with the adjacent portion of the conv ductorV may be turned to different angles about the axis of the stud as may be required for properly positioning the conductor relatively to the stud after which the nuts 7 and 7- may be retightened to firmly hold the clamping members at adjacent portion of the conductorin operative position.

What I claim is:

The combination with a rail. having a boltopening therethrough, a bolt passed through said opening and extended beyond opposite faces of the rail, said bolt having one end threaded and 'its opposite end tapered toward the threaded end and relatively larger than the opening, a nut engaging4 the threaded end of the bolt and adjacent v face of the rail for drawing the tapered end tightly into the opening, a clamping member' having one end embracing the threaded end of the bolt and engaging the outer' end f'ace4 of said nut and its other end provided with means for embracing an electric conductor, an electric conductor having an eye embracing the threaded end of the bolt and outer face of the adjacent portion of said clamping member, a cup-shaped clamping member having a flat bottom portion embracing the threaded portion of the bolt and en agingthe outer face of the conductor, sai cupshaped clampin member having its rim extended aroun the adjacent portions of 5 'the conductor and the first named clamping member and formed with an opening throu h which the adjacent end of the first name clamping member extends, and a n ut engaging the threaded end of the bolt and lo guter end face of the second clamping mem- In witness whereof I have hereunto 'set my hand this 9th day of June 1930.

15 ARMAND J. VALLE. 

